Sharper: Israel at War

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented and destructive attack on Israel. The consequences of this attack will reverberate throughout the region, with difficult obstacles ahead for Israel, the United States, and their global partners and allies. In this special edition of Sharper, CNAS researchers provide important insight to sharpen the conversation on Israeli security and what this attack means for the Middle East region and beyond. Continue reading this edition of Sharper to explore analysis.

Features

Israel at War

On October 12, 2023, CNAS hosted a virtual event featuring a discussion on the crisis in Israel and Gaza with Danny Citrinowicz, Research Fellow of the Institute for National Security Studies; Jonathan Lord, Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at CNAS; and Carrie Cordero, Robert M. Gates Senior Fellow at CNAS. Richard Fontaine, Chief Executive Officer of CNAS, moderated the discussion.

Israel Under Attack

On October 7, Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel. As clashes erupted across the country, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the country “at war” while President Biden reaffirmed the U.S.’s commitment to support Israel. While the human cost of today’s events remains unclear, its effects will surely reverberate in the region and beyond. In this solemn moment, CNAS experts Richard Fontaine and Jonathan Lord analyze what today's events mean for Israel, the Palestinian territories, and more.

Commentaries

The US Needs to Make Sure Hamas Isn’t a Threat to the Homeland

“The Biden administration has been articulating publicly for months how Section 702 provides critical foreign intelligence information across a range of 21st century threats, including Chinese intelligence activities, intelligence relevant to Russia’s war on Ukraine, global cybersecurity threats and fentanyl trafficking, to name a few,” Carrie Cordero argues in CNN. “But it is worth emphasizing that the catalyst for the section’s original enactment was counterterrorism, and it has been an essential counterterrorism tool for 15 years. Hamas, Hezbollah and their state-sponsor, Iran, are wholly appropriate foreign intelligence targets, and Section 702 authority should not be degraded while threats from these actors have escalated to the degree of starting a new war in the Middle East.

The Significance of Juniper Oak

“There are additional lessons and messages that both partners and adversaries can take away from Juniper Oak. For Israel’s emerging partners in the Gulf who have sought to normalize and build greater relations following the signing of the Abraham Accords, seeing this awesome display of military capability is a showcase for what they stand to gain should they choose to further develop their defense relationships with Israel,” Jonathan Lord writes in Inkstick. “While they all have a long way to go before they could perform at this level, surely, an exercise of this magnitude must be reassuring to them that a future in partnership with the United States and Israel is a more secure one. Though one should be careful not to link it to US support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu specifically since planning for these exercises predates the formation of his government.”

In the News

Featuring commentary and analysis from Richard Fontaine and Jonathan Lord.

About the Sharper Series

The CNAS Sharper series features curated analysis and commentary from CNAS experts on the most critical challenges in U.S. foreign policy. From the future of America's relationship with China to the state of U.S. sanctions policy and more, each collection draws on the reports, interviews, and other commentaries produced by experts across the Center to explore how America can strengthen its competitive edge.

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